Tiresia

Various Greek myths suggest Tiresia was blinded by the goddess Athena then given the power of second sight in recompense, and that s/he took both male and female forms. It’s probably handy to know this before seeing Bertrand Bonnello’s florid update since it might help make this studied exercise in arthouse obtuseness just that little bit less impenetrable. In this modern French version, Tiresia is a Brazilian pre-op transsexual prostitute (former model Clara Choveaux) kidnapped from the Bois de Boulogne by an enigmatic loner (Laurent Lucas) and held against her will until tensions between them reach breaking point. From then on, the film switches tack completely, as Bonnello plays games with the casting – best say no more – and explores the impact of prophecy on a troubled village community. It’s moderately intriguing to see the legend unfold in modern times, but the overall intention remains inscrutable, despite the strong presence of the performers and Bonnello’s attempt to will significance into the material by holding each shot over a glacial time-span.